The Skinny Mirror – Providing Innocent Lies Or Dangerous Deception?

On the Internet, you can find all sorts of unusual stuff – nobody can deny this. Just last night, while randomly surfing the web, I came across what appears to be the latest trend in the Lifestyle/Health department, which left me a bit dumbfounded – according to an article ran by the Daily Mail, women prefer to be ”told” little white lies by a mirror, and therefore, so-called ”skinny mirrors”, which already popular in clothing stores, are becoming increasingly popular as household items, to the delight of some and the adamant disapproval of others,

Promoted as an alternative to cosmetic surgery, the ”skinny mirror” plays the role of the best friend that tells us ”Honey, of course that dress doesn’t make you look fat!”. Thanks to its concave shape, the mirror has the ”miraculous” ability to make you look up to 4.5 kilos (10 pounds) slimmer. The opposite effect of fun fair/carnival mirrors, if you will.

Opinions are, as usual, split between two sides, with each side adamantly voicing its take on the innovative concept. On one side, there are the women who claim that because of what they call ”fat mirrors” (mirrors vaguely distorting the image to appear larger, because of their convex shape), have been feeling unattractive for years, and for whom, the Skinny Mirror is a Godsend when it comes to regaining self-confidence. Studies conducted by Belinda Jasmine’s company (the mastermind behind the concept of Skinny Mirrors), come to accentuate these facts, showing that personal image has a direct influence over energy levels, over personal perception of competence, as well as over that of personal attractiveness.

”Nothing is more gorgeous than the self-assurance that comes from feeling good in your own skin.”, states Belinda Jasmine, adding that lots of women who have tried the Skinny Mirror, have become less obsessed with the idea of dieting and have come to feel sexy again.

On the other side, there are the voices that accuse the innovative concept of using trickery and deception. Yes, the motivation might be there, but it is, after all, based on a more or less innocent lie, which can ultimately have negative effects in the long run, one being giving up on following a healthy diet.

As much as we’d like to have Gisele Bündchen’s body, no mirror in the world is going to fulfill our wish just like a genie in a bottle. Just like trying on an outfit in a store and, thanks to carefully-placed mirrors and great lighting, it may appear to suit you perfectly, only to go home and discover that it’s far from fitting you like a glove, the clever trickery that an at-home Skinny Mirror involves, may eventually backfire, when your brain finally realises what your subconscious already knows.

If social pressure pushes us to have perfect bodies, the way to go is to work for them, but unlike the Skinny Mirror, which offers the illusion of a perfect figure in a split second, sculpting the ideal shape of your body can take quite some time.

Given that since I was little, I’ve learned that the Evil Queen, who kept asking her mirror ”who was fairest of them all”, did not end up very well, I don’t plan to give in to the sweet deception of the Skinny Mirror, even though my quest to find the perfect plate of Spaghetti Carbonara this summer, is starting to show on my silhouette. My alternative solution for a boost of self-confidence? A stunning dress that fits like a glove and a pair of sky-high heels to match. 100% foolproof.

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